Weed puller



Oct. 16, 1928.

D. S. DICKIE WEED FULLER Filed Nov'. 9, 192e gvwemwi Fatented Cet. 16, 1928.

' UNITED! lSTATES DAVID s. DICKIE, or SEATTLE, WASHINGTON.

A g 1,637,974 PATENT oFFicE.

WEED FULLER.'

i Application led November 9, 1926.4 Serial No. 147,332.

This invention 'provides an implement .for eradicating obnoxious plants by extirpation without crushing the tops of the plants to an extent to cause the implementvto slip or operate imperiectly.

. The invention vprovidesineans for limiting the movements of the pivoted jaw and to enable replacements beingV easily and*v Fora full understanding of the inventiony and the merits thereof, reference is to be had to the vfollowing .description and the drawings hereto attached, in which;-

Figure 1 1s a side view of a weed puller l embodying the invention, the upper portion of the handle being broken away and the a fixed member 2, a pivoted member 3, andV jaws being illustrated in closed position.

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure the parts being in section, and

Figure 3 is a sectional view on the Vline 3 8 of Figure 1.k

Corresponding and y to in the following descriptionfand designated in the several views of the drawings by like reference characters. y

The implement comprises a handle 1,

a jaw operating lever 4. The members v2 and 3 are disposed upon opposite sides of the lower end ofthe handle 1, and project to provide complemental jaws 5 and 6, between which the objectionable growth'V or weed is adapted to be grippedr wheneXtirpating the same. The member 2 Vis secured fast to a side oi thehandle 1 andhas a longi-v tudinal' slot 7 `formed therein intermediate` its ends for the reception of the pivotal end of the lever 4. A bolt 8 passes throughreg- I.

istering openings formed in the member 2 and handle 1 and is. of a `length to project some distance beyond the opposite sidegof the handle, the projecting kportion being threaded to receive nuts9, 10, and 11.' The nut 9, in conjunction with ythe head of the bolt, clamps the upper end oi the member like parts are referred l ment of the pivoted jaw and member 3. v l

. The member?) is formed with spaced ears 12 which embrace opposite sides ofi the handle and which K4are' apertured `to receive a Y 2 against theside of the handle 1. vThe nuts 10 and 11 constitute stops to limit the movebolt 13 which` passes transversely through l the lower portion of the handle `1. The member v2 .is formed withk spaced ears 14A which also embrace opposite sides of the' handle 1l and which are apertured to receive the bolt 13. The ears 12 and 14 overlap and,y are located about midway between the upper and lower ends of the members. The jaws v5 and 6 are fashioned'to readily penetrate the soil landengage 'Y opposite sides ofthe" roots `of the plants to be extirpated The jaws normally kstand apart and are 'brought together when the upper end of `the handle 1 is movedla'terally to cause the `outer end of the `lever 4to make contact with the is laterally offset to clear the nuts 9 and 10, as indicatedlat 15,and is formed with a vlongitudinal slot 16 to receive the outer end of the bolt'r8. Ari-open coil s ring 17'is*y mounted 'upon the outerend o kthe bolt 8 between the ofset end 15v of the member 3 press the upper Vend of the `member toe wards the handle, wherebyl to maintain the jaws 5 and 6 separated. vThe opening'of-.the

jaws 5Kand (iis determined by adjustment of the vnut `1(1"which functions asa stop toy limitthe inwardimovement of the offset end 15 of the member 3.- Theclosing ofthejavvs Ground. The upper portion ofthe member 3 and the nut 11 and operateslto normally is determined by the spring 17 and the posif 1 tion of the nut 11 which also' :hmctionsjas av stop. to limit the outward movement of the upperend ofthe member 3 Awhen the coils of the spring 17 close. Y

The jaw operating lever.`4 is fiat 'and curvedthroughout its vlength and twisted- .intermediate itsends to throw the. latter at a right angle to each other so that vthe head.,

or pivotalfjend of the lever may lie in aver tical plane whereas the'lower endvor foot of the levermay occupy a horizontal position to obtain an extendedbearing kupon*` the ground. *The upper end of the lever 4 is apertured to receive the bolt 13 and is dis# Y posed in'` an open slot 19 formed transversely in the lower end of the handled, interme# diate the sides thereof. A cross. head 20 is 4formed uponthe upper or pivotal-endet the lever 4l and engages the inner side oit the pivoted member 3. The cross head extends upwardly and downwardly from the pivotal end of the lever to engage the meinber 3 both above and below a line perpendicular to the handle passing through the pivot 13 of both the member 3 and lever a. A recess 21 is i'ormcd in a side of the handle l adjacent the upper portion of the cross head 2O to receive the same and thereby admit of the upper portion of the member 3 coming close to the side of the handle, as when the'jaws are open. p

As herein stated the jaws are normally spread'and the n `or portion ol" the lever 4t projects laterally from the handle and curves downwardly toward so that when the l Aidle is held in upright position and thejaws are pressed into the ground ,upon opposite sides ol the roots ol? a weed or other plant to be extracted, the outer end or the lever l will engage the ground ata distance from the lower end of through the upper portion of tbe the handle. lllhen the handle is tilted towards that side provided 1th the lever l the latter is held in'lixed position and cross head 20 presses the upper end of the nber 3 outwardly and elifects a closing' the jaws. The lever l also acts Vas a .tnlcrnm and a continuedmovement oft the ha alle l el'lects a lifting of the jaws with the j* ant gripped therebetween with the result that the weed7 or other objectionable growth is extirpated.

W hen the imolementis lifted clear the ground the spring 17, previously compressed in the closing 'ot the jaws., operates to press the upper `end oit the member 3 inwardly and elelct an opening' of the jaws, whereby the plant is released Vand drops to the ground.

It is observed tliatthe tool is adapted to elliectually pull'weeds, big or small, without mutilating a lawn unduly, by extracting uni necessary dirt with tl'ie'weeds,4 and tobe operated by hand pressure to handle in contradistinction to 'oot pressure to lever.

YThis is accomplished by reason or symvmetry of jaws that penetrate the ground p 'other jaw 5.

easily and themeans that regulate the extent of the opening and closing,` or" the jaw 6 and the extent or pressure of said jaw/jupon the ln consequenee, the tool can be` adjusted to the different sizekweeds to be pulled,jwhich determines the amount of v dirt, that will be extracted with the weeds,

f and the extent `of lawn mutilation. Also the effectual pulling or' the weeds with roots, and

the operation of the tool by Yhand pressure.

s the point oi the jaws vbo As the quantity of dirt extractedv with weeds is determined by expansion ot jaws, and the -extent of mutilation oit lawn by 'the quantity l claim l. A weed puller comprising' a handle, a 'lined member at one side of the handle eX- tended atv lits lower end to vprovide a jaw, a pivoted member at the opposite side ol the handle and extended at its lower end to -provide a complemental jaw, said members having overlapping portions and the fixed member having an Vintermediate slot and the pivoted member having its upper end longitudinally slotted, a bolt passingA through the handle, andv the overlapping portions of the members, a lever passing through the slotof the lined member and having4 a crosshead. at its pivotal end to' engage the inner side of the pivoted member and mounted upon the lt onnecting,` thetwomemberst to the handle,- a bolt passing` through the'upper end of the d member and projecting beyond the n upon thev projecting ends of the bolts7 the latter passingthrough the upper slotted endV ot the pivoted member and an open coil spring,` mounted upon the bolt between the upper end ot the pivoted member and the'` n opposite sides of the handle, nutsmounted soY the handle and having across head at its'v pivotal end engaging the pivoted jaw upon opposite sides ol' its pivot. i Y l 3. A' weed pullercomprising a handle, members upon opposite sides ont thehandle andprojecting to formaws7 one or the members beingpivoted, an operating'lever for the pivoted member mounted upon the handle, a bolt passing through vthe handleand xed member and acrossthe upper end oi the pivoted member, nuts uponA the projectthe upperr end of the piveted'member, and anropen coil'spring,` mounted upon the outer end of the bolt between the upper end of lthe pivoted member and. the outer nut.V

In testimonyv whereof I ahi); my signaturrL ing` end .of the bolt and at oppositeV sides'of 

